Feature fusing in face recognition

With the aim of extracting the features of face images in face recognition, a new method of face recognition by fusing global features and local features is presented. The global features are extracted using principal component analysis （PCA）. Active appearance model （AAM） locates 58 facial fiducial points, from which 17 points are characterized as local features using the Gabor wavelet transform （GWT）. Normalized global match degree （local match degree） can be obtained by global features （local features） of the probe image and each gallery image. After the fusion of normalized global match degree and normalized local match degree, the recognition result is the class that included the gallery image corresponding to the largest fused match degree. The method is evaluated by the recognition rates over two face image databases （AR and SJTU-IPPR）. The experimental results show that the method outperforms PCA and elastic bunch graph matching （EBGM）. Moreover, it is effective and robust to expression, illumination and pose variation in some degree.

Quality prediction of batch process using the global-local discriminant analysis based Gaussian process regression model

The conventional single model strategy may be ill- suited due to the multiplicity of operation phases and system uncertainty. A novel global-local discriminant analysis （GLDA） based Gaussian process regression （GPR） approach is developed for the quality prediction of nonlinear and multiphase batch processes. After the collected data is preprocessed through batchwise unfolding, the hidden Markov model （HMM） is applied to identify different operation phases. A GLDA algorithm is also presented to extract the appropriate process variables highly correlated with the quality variables, decreasing the complexity of modeling. Besides, the multiple local GPR models are built in the reduced- dimensional space for all the identified operation phases. Furthermore, the HMM-based state estimation is used to classify each measurement sample of a test batch into a corresponding phase with the maximal likelihood estimation. Therefore, the local GPR model with respect to specific phase is selected for online prediction. The effectiveness of the proposed prediction approach is demonstrated through the multiphase penicillin fermentation process. The comparison results show that the proposed GLDA-GPR approach is superior to the regular GPR model and the GPR based on HMM （HMM-GPR） model.

Efficacy and Safety of a Continuous Wound Catheter in Open Abdominal Partial Hepatectomy

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of continuous local anesthetic wound infiltration following open abdominal partial hepatectomy. Methods We performed a prospective, non-randomized, concurrent and controlled study. Patients undergoing open abdominal partial hepatectomy, according to their willingness, accepted one of the following managements for the postoperative pain： continuous wound catheter （CWC） infiltration, patient-controlled epidural analgesia （PCEA）, patient-controlled intravenous analgesia of morphine （PCIAM）, and patient-controlled intravenous analgesia of sufentanil （PCIAS）. The primary outcome was postoperative visual analogue scale （VAS） scores at rest and on movement. Secondary outcomes included consumption of rescue medication, side effects, and complications associated with postoperative pain management. Results From August 2013 to December 2013, 80 patients were allocated to receive CWC （n=10）, PCEA （n=22）, PCIAM （n=29）, or PCIAS （n=19）. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, percentage of resected liver, operation time, and Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale, there was no significant difference in the VAS scores at rest or on movement between Group CWC and the other groups, namely PCEA, PCIAM, and PCIAS, at 4, 12, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively （all P〉0.05）. The need for rescue medication was not significantly different between Group CWC and the other three groups at 48 and 72 hours postoperatively （all P〉0.05）. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting or anal exsufflation time between group CWC and the other three groups （all P〉0.05）. No severe adverse effects associated with continuous wound infiltration were observed during the study period. Conclusions CWC has a comparable analgesic effect compared with traditional analgesia methods at most time points postoperatively. CWC is a safe alternative for the postoperative analgesic management of open liver surgery.

Nonlocal controllability for semilinear problems in Banach spaces

If A： D（A） X→X is a densely defined and closed linear operator, which generates a linear semigroup S （t） in Banach space X. The nonlocal control/ability for the following nonlocal semilinear problems： u＇ （t） = Au （t） ＋ Bx（ t） ＋ f（ t, u（t） ）, 0≤t ≤ T with nonlocal initial condition u（0） = u0 ＋ g（u） is discussed in Banach space X. The results show that if semigroup S（t） is strongly continuous, the functionsf and g are compact and the control B is bounded, then it is nonlocally controllable. The nonlocal controllability for the above nonlocal problem is also studied when B and W are unbounded and the semigroup S（t） is compact or strongly continuous. For illustration, a partial differential equation is worked out.

Impact of postoperative glycemic control and nutritional status on clinical outcomes after total pancreatectomy

AIM To evaluate the impact of glycemic control and nutritional status after total pancreatectomy(TP) on complications, tumor recurrence and overall survival.METHODS Retrospective records of 52 patients with pancreatic tumors who underwent TP were collected from 2007 to 2015. A series of clinical parameters collected before and after surgery, and during the follow-up were evaluated. The associations of glycemic control and nutritional status with complications, tumor recurrence and long-term survival were determined. Risk factors for postoperative glycemic control and nutritional status were identified.RESULTS High early postoperative fasting blood glucose(FBG) levels(OR = 4.074, 95%CI: 1.188-13.965, P = 0.025) and low early postoperative prealbumin levels(OR = 3.816, 95%CI: 1.110-13.122, P = 0.034) were significantly associated with complications after TP. Postoperative Hb A1 c levels over 7%(HR = 2.655, 95%CI: 1.299-5.425, P = 0.007) were identified as one of the independent risk factors for tumor recurrence. Patients with postoperative Hb A1 c levels over 7% had much poorer overall survival than those with Hb A1 c levels less than 7%(9.3 mo vs 27.6 mo, HR = 3.212, 95%CI: 1.147-8.999, P = 0.026). Patients with long-term diabetes mellitus(HR = 15.019, 95%CI: 1.278-176.211, P= 0.031) and alcohol history(B = 1.985, SE = 0.860, P = 0.025) tended to have poor glycemic control and lower body mass index levels after TP, respectively.CONCLUSION At least 3 mo are required after TP to adapt to diabetes and recover nutritional status. Glycemic control appears to have more influence over nutritional status on longterm outcomes after TP. Improvement in glycemic control and nutritional status after TP is important to prevent early complications and tumor recurrence, and improve survival.

Surgical Resection of Right or Total Caudate Lobe of the Liver Including the Paracaval Portion

Objective To explore the method for and experience of the right or total caudate lobectomies including the paracaval portion. Methods The right posterior approach was employed for right caudate lobectomy and the left lateral approach for total caudate lobectomy. Prior to liver parenchymal transection, dissection was made to separate the caudate lobe and the tumor from the retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC). The transection was carried out by forceps and finger fracture with or without some kind of hepatic vascular occlusion. Results A total of 7 right and 6 total caudate lobectomies were performed, all including resection of the paracaval portion. There were no operative deaths or severe complications. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 896 ml (range: 250–2 000 ml). Among the 13 hepatectomies, 10 were done under portal triad clamping with a mean clamp time of 25 min (range: 10–83 min). There was a mean postoperative hospital stay of 12 days (range: 9–22 days). Conclusion Athough deeply located and in close proximity to the trunk of the main hepatic veins and the portal pedicle, the caudate lobe including paracaval portion can be safely resected either alone or combined with liver resection. Key words hepatectomy - liver neoplasms - inferior vena cava-surgery

New totally intracorporeal reconstructive approach after robotic total gastrectomy: Technical details and short-term outcomes

To show outcomes of our series of patients that underwent a total gastrectomy with a robotic approach and highlight the technical details of a proposed solution for the reconstruction phase.METHODSData of gastrectomies performed from May 2014 to October 2016, were extracted and analyzed. Basic characteristics of patients, surgical and clinical outcomes were reported. The technique for reconstruction (Parisi Technique) consists on a loop of bowel shifted up antecolic to directly perform the esophago-enteric anastomosis followed by a second loop, measured up to 40 cm starting from the esojejunostomy, fixed to the biliary limb to create an enteroenteric anastomosis. The continuity between the two anastomoses is interrupted just firing a linear stapler, so obtaining the Roux-en-Y by avoiding to interrupt the mesentery.RESULTSFifty-five patients were considered in the present analysis. Estimated blood loss was 126.55 ± 73 mL, no conversions to open surgery occurred, R0 resections were obtained in all cases. Hospital stay was 5 (3-17) d, no anastomotic leakage occurred. Overall, a fast functional recovery was shown with a median of 3 (3-6) d in starting a solid diet.CONCLUSIONRobotic surgery and the adoption of a tailored reconstruction technique have increased the feasibility and safety of a minimally invasive approach for total gastrectomy. The present series of patients shows its implementation in a western center with satisfying short-term outcomes.

Mechanism of Off-Bottom Suspension of Solid Particles in a Mechanical Stirred Tank

The minimum fluid velocity to maintain particles just suspendedwas deduced, and the theoretical analysis shows that the minimumvelocity is influenced by the properties of the solid and liquid, notby the operational conditions. For justification, the local minimumvelocity at the bottom of the tank was measured by a bi- electrodeconductivity probe, in a square-sectioned stirred tank (0.75m×0.75×1.0m) with the glass beads-water system. The experiments showed thatthe fluid velocities for the same suspension state were identicaldespite that the power Dissipated per unite mass was not the sameunder different configuration and operation. Both theoreticalanalysis And experimental results indicate that the off-bottomsuspension is controlled by the local fluid flow over the bottom Ofthe stirred tank.

Impact of interferon-free antivirus therapy on lipid profiles in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b

AIM To investigate the influence of interferon-free antivirus therapy on lipid profiles in chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1b(HCV1b) infection.METHODS Interferon-free antiviral agents were used to treat 276 patients with chronic HCV1 b infection, and changes in serum lipids of those who achieved sustained virologic response(SVR) were examined. The treatment regimen included 24 wk of daclatasvir plus asunaprevir(DCV + ASV) or 12 wk of sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir(SOF + LDV). SVR was achieved in 121(85.8%) of 141 patients treated with DCV + ASV and 132(97.8%) of 135 patients treated with SOF + LDV. In the two patient groups(DCV + ASV-SVR and SOF + LDV-SVR), serum total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), and triglycerides were measured at baseline during treatment and at 4 and 12 wk after treatment. Then, longitudinal changes in lipid profiles were analyzed.RESULTS Serum levels of TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C were significantly increased throughout the observation period in both the DCV + ASV-SVR and SOF + LDV-SVR groups. During antivirus treatment, the increases in TC and LDL-C were significantly greater in the SOF + LDVSVR group than in the DCV + ASV-SVR group(P < 0.001). At 4 and 12 wk after the therapy, serum levels of TC and LDL-C were similar between the two groups and were significantly greater than those at baseline. Approximately 75%-80% of the increase in TC was derived from an increased LDL-C. In multiple regression analysis, the difference in therapy protocol(DCA + ASV or SOF + LDV) was an independent predictor that was significantly associated with the increase in TC and LDL-C at 4 wk of therapy.CONCLUSION Serum cholesterol significantly increased during SOF + LDV treatment. After treatment, HCV elimination was associated with a similar increase in cholesterol regardless of the therapy protocol.

Numerical simulation of dewatering thick unconsolidated aquifers for safety of underground coal mining

With an increase of mining the upper limits under unconsolidated aquifers, dewatering of the bottom aquifer of the Quaternary system has become a major method to avoid water and sand inrushes.In the 8th District of the Taiping Coal Mine in south-western Shandong province, the bottom aquifer of the Quaternary system is moderate to excellent in water-yielding capacity.The base rock above the coal seam is very thin in the concealed coal field of the Carboniferous and Permian systems.Therefore, a comprehensive dewatering plan from both the ground surface and the panel was proposed to lower the groundwater level in order to ensure mining safety.According to the hydrogeologic conditions of the 8th District, we established a numerical model so that we could simulate the groundwater flow in the dewatering process.We obtained the simulation parameters from previous data using backward modeling, such as the average coefficient of permeability of 12 m/d and the elastic storage coefficient of 0.002.From the same model, we predicted the movement of groundwater and water level variables and obtained the visible effect of the dewatering project.Despite the overburden failure during mining, no water and/or sand inrush occurred because the groundwater level in the bottom aquifer was lowered to a safe water level.

Percutaneous Microwave Coagulation Therapy for Patients with Primary and Metastatic Hepatic Tumors

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) for patients with primary and metastatic hepatic tumors.Methods: The enrolled 100 patients with 186 tumor nodules who underwent PMCT included 79 cases of primary or recurrent liver cancers and 21 cases of metastatic liver cancer. The tumors were divided into two groups according to the tumor size in diameter: group A, 0.5 cm?<3 cm; group B, ≥3 cm?<5 cm. Under local and/or epidural anesthesia, a single percutaneous microwave antenna (or two antennas array applicator) was inserted directly into the tumor in the liver for thermo-coagulation with the aid of ultrasound guidance.Results: Among the 186 lesions in 100 patients with primary and metastatic liver cancers, in group A, 123 (66%) were coagulated once. A Follow-up of 6–12 months demonstrated that 112 lesions (91%) showed no local recurrence by CT or MRI; In group B, of the 63 lesions (33.87%) coagulated twice, 31 (49%) showed no local recurrence by CT or MRI during a follow-up of 6 months. There were no serious clinical side effects or complications in all the PMCT patients.Conclusion: PMCT gives satisfactory curative effect on tumors with <3 cm in size. It is partly effective on lesions ≥3 cm?<5 cm in size. It is a minimally invasive and effective therapy, can be used safely in the field of percutaneous hepatis surgery, and carried out even in patients with poor liver function. Key words hepatocellular carcinoma - microwave - coagulation - therapy

A data-derived soft-sensor method for monitoring effluent total phosphorus

The effluent total phosphorus(ETP) is an important parameter to evaluate the performance of wastewater treatment process(WWTP). In this study, a novel method, using a data-derived soft-sensor method, is proposed to obtain the reliable values of ETP online. First, a partial least square(PLS) method is introduced to select the related secondary variables of ETP based on the experimental data. Second, a radial basis function neural network(RBFNN) is developed to identify the relationship between the related secondary variables and ETP. This RBFNN easily optimizes the model parameters to improve the generalization ability of the soft-sensor. Finally, a monitoring system, based on the above PLS and RBFNN, named PLS-RBFNN-based soft-sensor system, is developed and tested in a real WWTP. Experimental results show that the proposed monitoring system can obtain the values of ETP online and own better predicting performance than some existing methods.

A family of quasi-cubic blended splines and applications

A class of quasi-cubic B-spline base functions by trigonometric polynomials are established which inherit properties similar to those of cubic B-spline bases. The corresponding curves with a shape parameter a, defined by the introduced base functions, include the B-spline curves and can approximate the B-spline curves from both sides. The curves can be adjusted easily by using the shape parameter a, where dpi（a,t） is linear with respect to da for the fixed t. With the shape parameter chosen properly, the defined curves can be used to precisely represent straight line segments, parabola segments, circular arcs and some transcendental curves, and the corresponding tensor product surfaces can also represent spherical surfaces, cylindrical surfaces and some transcendental surfaces exactly. By abandoning positive property, this paper proposes a new C^2 continuous blended interpolation spline based on piecewise trigonometric polynomials associated with a sequence of local parameters. Illustration showed that the curves and surfaces constructed by the blended spline can be adjusted easily and freely. The blended interpolation spline curves can be shape-preserving with proper local parameters since these local parameters can be considered to be the magnification ratio to the length of tangent vectors at the interpolating points. The idea is extended to produce blended spline surfaces.

Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas

During the last 100 years in medical literature,there are only 54 reports,including the report of Pasaoglu et al(World J Gastroenterol 2008;14:2915-2916),with clinical descriptions of agenesis of the dorsal pancreas in humans.Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas,a rare congenital pancreatic malformation,is associated with some other medical conditions such as hyperglycemia,abdominal pain,pancreatitis and a few other diseases.In approximately 50% of reported patients with this congenital malformation,hyperglycemia was demonstrated.Evaluation of hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus in all patients with agenesis of the dorsal pancreas including description of fasting blood glucose,oral glucose tolerance test,glycated hemoglobin and medical treatment would be a future goal.Since autosomal dominant transmission has been suggested in single families,more family studies including imaging technologies with demonstration of the pancreatic duct system are needed for evaluation of this disease.With this letter to the editor,we aim to increase available information for the better understanding of this rare disease.

Combining Micro Technologies and Unmanned Systems to Support Public Safety and Homeland Security

Previously, the military establishment has been the primary developer and user of micro technologies associated with unmanned systems. As these technologies become available commercially, a need exists to integrate the use of the technology into local or regional public safety and homeland security incidents. The purpose of this presentation is to explain several key factors to consider when using micro technologies and unmanned systems in support of public safety and homeland security officials. Real time information is critical to the decision making process for public safety and homeland security officials to make assessments and quickly resolve crisis situations. Unmanned micro-vehicles and micro technologies are well suited to remotely observe, gather essential information, and immediately relay it to incident responders. These technologies can provide extremely important support during responses to hostage situations, hazardous environments, search and rescue, natural disasters, border patrol and many others. The true benefit is having remote resources providing real time support to incident responders. This paper discusses the use of several different types of micro-vehicle platforms in public safety scenarios and their use of associated technologies such as GPS （Global Positioning System） autopilot, communication, and sensor devices.

Investigation of compensatory postures with videofluoromanometry in dysphagia patients

AIM: To investigate the effectiveness of head compensatory postures to ensure safe oropharyngeal transit. METHODS: A total of 321 dysphagia patients were enrolled and assessed with videofluoromanometry (VFM). The dysphagia patients were classified as follows: safe transit; penetration without aspiration; aspiration before, during or after swallowing; multiple aspirations and no transit. The patients with aspiration or no transit were tested with VFM to determine whether compensatory postures could correct their swallowing disorder. RESULTS: VFM revealed penetration without aspiration in 71 patients (22.1%); aspiration before swallowing in 17 patients (5.3%); aspiration during swallowing in 32 patients (10%); aspiration after swallowing in 21 patients (6.5%); multiple aspirations in six patients (1.9%); no transit in five patients (1.6%); and safe transit in 169 patients (52.6%). Compensatory postures guaranteed a safe transit in 66/75 (88%) patients with aspiration or no transit. A chin-down posture achieved a safe swallow in 42/75 (56%) patients, a head-turned posture in 19/75 (25.3%) and a hyperextended head posture in 5/75 (6.7%). The compensatory postures were not effective in 9/75 (12%) cases. CONCLUSION: VFM allows the speech-language therapist to choose the most effective compensatory posture without a trial-and-error process and check the effectiveness of the posture.

Dynamics of Above-and Below-ground Biomass and C,N,P Accumulation in the Alpine Steppe of Northern Tibet

The temporal dynamics of the biomass, as well as the carbon （C）, nitrogen （N）, phosphorus （P） concentrations and accumulation contents, in above- and below-ground vegetation components were determined in the alpine steppe vegetation of Northern Tibet during the growing season of 2OLO. The highest levels of total biomass （311.68 g m-2）, total C （115.95 g m-2）, total N （2.60 g m-2）, and total P （0.90 g m-2） accumulation contents were obtained in August in 2010. Further, biomass and nutrient stocks in the below-ground components were higher than those of the above-ground components. The dominant species viz., Stipa purpurea and Carex moorcrofli had lower biomass and C, N, P accumulations than the companion species which including Oxytropis. spp., Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Aster tataricus L., and SO on.

Signal classification system using global-local feature extraction algorithm

A continuous wavelet transform(CWT)and globallocal feature(GLF)extraction-based signal classificationalgorithm is proposed to improve the signal classification accuracy.First,the CWT is utilized to generate the timefrequency scalogram.Then,the GLF extraction method is proposed to extract features from the time-frequency scalogram.Finally,a classification method based on the support vector machine(SVM)is proposed to classify the extracted features.Experimental results show that the extended binary phase shift keying(EBPSK)bit error rate(BER)of the proposed classification algorithm is1.3x10_5under the environment of additional white Gaussian noise with the signal-to-noise ratio of-3dB,which is24times lower than that of the SVM-based signal classification method.Meanwhile,the BER using the GLF extraction method is13times lower than the one using the global feature extraction method and24times lower than the one using the local feature extraction method.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLOBAL WARMING AND THE VARIATION IN TROPICAL CYCLONE FREQUENCY OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC

The relationship between global warming and the variation in tropical cyclone (TC) genesis frequency is analyzed using the data of the Tropical Cyclone Year Book by the China Meteorological Administration and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data from 1949 to 2007. The observational results indicate that the average sea surface temperature (SST) in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) region (10°N– 20°N, 100°E– 140°E) increases by 0.6°C against the background of global warming, while the frequency of tropical cyclone geneses in this region decreases significantly. Generally, the rise of SSTs is favorable for the genesis of tropical cyclones, but it is now shown to be contrary to the normal effect. Most of the tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific (WNP) are generated in the ITCZ. This is quite different from the case in the Atlantic basin in which the tropical cyclones are mostly generated from the easterly wave. Our research results demonstrate that the ITCZ has a weakening trend in strength, and it has moved much more equatorward in the past 40 years; both are disadvantageous to the formation of tropical cyclones. Furthermore, our study also found that the ridge of the subtropical high tends to shift slightly equatorward, which is another adverse mechanism for the formation of tropical cyclones.

The Generalized Roper-Suffridge Extension Operator for Locally Biholomorphic Mappings

In this paper, we introduce the generalized R oper-Suffridge extension operator for locally biholomorphic mappings. It is sh own that this operator preserves the starlikeness on some Reinhardt domains and does not preserve convexity for some cases. Meanwhile, the growth theorem and di stortion theorem of the corresponding mappings are given.